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After the Lies
A The Lies Between Us Short Story
Yolanda Olson
A short story about the bond between a brother and sister.
1
A year has passed since we settled back into our little home in Harper’s Ferry.
A year without lies, without deception—without Hoyt Blackburn.
I thought it would have gotten easier by now, but seeing the beautiful, ceramic urn that Jori got to put his ashes in almost every day … it opens the wound each and every time.
Hm.
I run my fingertips down the cool ceramic, smiling slightly when I feel the arms of Jori Davidson slide gently around my waist.
“Is today gonna be a good day, Red?” he murmurs into my ear.
I chuckle.
When we got back, I decided it would be best to cleanse myself of the Blackburn persona by getting some color corrector and taking out the black I had used to dye my hair with. It shocked the shit out of Jori when he saw it, but he understood. I needed to find a way to show Hoyt that I still gave a shit about him, and it was the only thing I could think of to do.
We don’t talk about Doreen, the devil spawn I get my red hair from, anymore. That bitch never cared about Jori or me, and I could never see her as a mother. To me, she was just someone that Hoyt fucked a few times, and tried her best to spend all of his hard-earned money.
She didn’t even want Jori.
I’ll never forgive her for that because at least Hoyt tried.
He gave his son to his sister who turned out to be a bigger bitch than Doreen, but I don’t think Hoyt knew. I just don’t feel like he would have done that to us if he knew what kind of monster Millie was to his son.
Hell, to me Doreen was an incubator, Millie was the ogre that guarded the toll bridge, Jake was the boogeyman that mistreated us both, and Hoyt … well. There are no words to describe how I feel about Hoyt Blackburn, because I know that I still have love for him in my heart.
And Jori does too.
Even if he still won’t admit it, I know what I saw when he shook his hand the night before he was executed.
I turn to face the only man left alive from our fucked up lineage and wrap my arms around his shoulders. I look into his bitter blue eyes and tilt my head to the side wondering how it is that I got so damn lucky.
“Every day is a good day when you’re around, Jori,” I reply with a smile.
It’s a lie.
Something I promised myself I would never tell him again, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same after everything we’ve gone through. I just don’t think I can go through the rest of my life without anyone else.
He quirks an eyebrow.
I know he can see it in my eyes, but that’s just how things have to be for now and even though he doesn’t like it, he’s learning to accept it.
“Stop,” I plead with him when the smile he was giving me tightens. I know he’s trying his best not to get angry right now, because Jori never could stand raising his voice to me. “Everything is fine, Jori. I’m fine. I promise.”
He nods and turns his impossibly bitter blue eyes away from me for a moment, letting them rest on what’s left of Hoyt.
“You ever wonder where he went?” he asks thoughtfully.